Key Details
The Telecommunication Interconnection (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2026 govern interconnection—the arrangements that let traffic pass between operators’ networks. They take effect on 1 January 2027.
New connections must use IP: Every interconnection established from that date must use Internet Protocol (IP) technology. This does not mean calls will travel over the public internet.
Older links have three years to migrate: Operators must replace existing E1/TDM-based interconnections with IP-based ones within three years.
Local connection points will close: Existing points where traffic is exchanged at smaller district- or local-area levels must be phased out. Operators may agree on where to connect; if they cannot, the default is the licensed service-area level.
Progress is staged: Traffic through older links and local connection points must fall to no more than 80% of the specified baseline after the first year and 45% after the second, before the transition is completed in the third year.
Compliance is monitored: Operators must submit migration plans and progress reports. The amendment also sets rules for closing connection points, network capacity, bank guarantees, delayed payments and financial disincentives.
The Upgrade Targets Calls That Cross Networks
A call does not always stay within one operator’s network. When it crosses to another, it passes through a point of interconnection. If that link lacks capacity or performs poorly, the quality of communication between networks can suffer.
TRAI is updating the technology and location of these links as operators’ networks evolve. It says IP-based interconnection can use bandwidth more efficiently and improve call quality and end-to-end performance. Those are the intended benefits of the change; the regulations do not establish that customers are already experiencing them.
Operators Must Keep Traffic Moving During the Transition
New links move to IP first. Existing links and smaller-area connection points have a three-year transition, with traffic-reduction milestones along the way. Operators must coordinate the shift: changing one side of a link is not enough, and traffic must be rerouted as older points close.
The regulations require operators to report their plans and progress to TRAI. They also distinguish a voluntary surrender of a connection point from a disconnection arising from a dispute, setting notice and rerouting requirements for the former.
Consumer Complaints Are Covered by Separate Rules
TRAI has also revised how telecom providers handle consumer complaints and appeals. That separate amendment addresses what happens when users seek help. The interconnection rules address the underlying links between operators’ networks.
Policy Relevance
Customers need calls to work across operators, not merely within their own provider’s network. The amendment gives operators a common timetable for replacing older links while requiring them to preserve service during migration. Its value to users will depend on whether that work improves cross-network performance without causing disruption.
TRAI’s phased targets and reports can show whether operators complete the upgrade. Call-quality measures during and after migration will be needed to judge whether the expected consumer benefit follows.
Follow the Full Regulations Here: Telecommunication Interconnection (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2026
Follow the Press Release Here: TRAI’s Summary of the Amendment